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DECREE No. 82/2003/ND-CP OF JULY 18, 2003 PRESCRIBING THE FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 30/2003/ND-CP of April 1, 2003 defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structures of the agencies attached to the Government;

At the proposals of the General Director of Vietnam News Agency and the Minister of the Interior,

DECREES:

Article 1.- Position and functions

Vietnam News Agency is a governmental non-business agency which performs the function of a State news agency in the publication of news and official documents of the Party and the State, the provision of information in service of requirements of the Party's leadership and the State's management; collects and disseminates information through various press genres in service of the subjects inside and outside the country that have the demands therefor; performs a number of specific tasks and exercises a number of specific powers as the representative of the owner of State capital portions at the State-invested enterprises under Vietnam News Agency according to law provisions.

Vietnam News Agency is subject to the State management over press activities by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Article 2.- Tasks and powers

Vietnam News Agency has the responsibility to perform the tasks and exercise the powers of the Government-attached agencies engaged in non-business activities as prescribed in the Government's Decree No. 30/2003/ND-CP of April 1, 2003 defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structures of the agencies attached to the Government as well as the following specific tasks and powers:

1. To submit to the Government or the Prime Minister its strategies and plannings, long-term, five-year and annual plans as well as other important projects; to organize the implementation of such strategies, plannings and plans after they are approved.

2. To publish news and official documents of the Party and the State; to gather and edit news, photographs, documents and classified documents in timely service of the requirements of the Party’s leadership and the State's management.

3. To collect, edit and disseminate information (news, articles, files, documents, books, photographs, audio-visual products, multi-media products) in service of all subjects inside and outside the country that have demands therefor according to the provisions of the Press Law and the Publication Law.

4. When authorized by the Prime Minister, Vietnam News Agency is allowed to announce the State's official viewpoints on topical issues, rectify inappropriate information, correct erroneous information or reject information with intent of distortion.

5. To participate in performing the work of external information of the Party and the State according to law provisions.

6. To coordinate with the Ministry of Culture and Information in managing foreign news agencies' sources of press information circulated on the Vietnamese territory, according to law provisions.

7. To effect the national archival of information documentation; to act as an information data bank and manage national photographic files according to law provisions.

8. To coordinate with the concerned agencies in performing the common information tasks and other relevant tasks in service of national defense and security.

9. To submit to the minister assigned by the Prime Minister to sign for promulgation the legal documents on professional processes and standards as well as economic-technical norms on news agency to be applied nationwide.

10. To organize the scientific research and application of scientific and technological advances regarding news agency work and information technology in service of the news agency and press functions.

11. To perform a number of specific tasks and exercise a number of specific powers as the representative of the owner of State capital portions at the State-invested enterprises under its management according to law provisions.

12. To enter into international cooperation according to law provisions.

13. To manage investment and construction projects under its competence according to law provisions.

14. To participate in evaluating important schemes and projects within its professional operations at the request of the Government or the Prime Minister,

15. To decide on, and direct the implementation of, its administrative reform program according to the objectives and contents of the State's administrative reform program already approved by the Prime Minister.

16. To manage its organizational apparatus and payroll; direct the implementation of wage regime as well as preferential treatment, commendation and discipline regimes and policies for State officials and public employees as well as laborers under its management; to provide training and fostering on news agency and press professional operations and techniques for State officials and public employees under its management.

17. To manage the assigned finance and assets, and organize the implementation of the budget allocations and revenue amounts according to law provisions.

18. To abide by the regime of reporting to the Government, the Prime Minister and competent State agencies according to law provisions.

Article 3.- Organizational structure of Vietnam News Agency

a/ Organizations assisting the General Director:

1. The Editorial Secretariat;

2. The Department for Organization and Personnel;

3. The Planning-Finance Department;

4. The Inspection Department;

5. The Office.

b/ Editorial organizations:

1. The Domestic News Department;

2. The World News Department;

3. The News for Foreign Service Department;

4. The Department for Editing and Production of Press Photos;

5. The Economic News Department;

6. Vietnam Pictorial Review;

7. The Database-Documentation Center.

c/ Other organizations:

1. The News Agency Technical Center;

2. The Center for News Agency International Cooperation;

3. The News Agency Professional Fostering Center;

4. The Informatics Center.

5. The establishment of Vietnam News Agency's foreign-based bureaus shall be decided by the General Director of Vietnam News Agency after it is permitted by the Prime Minister.

Vietnam News Agency's General Director is assigned to organize and structure Vietnam News Agency's representative offices in Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang cities, its domestic bureaus, the existing press editorial boards, publishing, distribution and audio-visual establishments and other units according to law provisions.

Article 4.- Implementation effect

This Decree takes implementation effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette and replaces the Government's Decree No. 66/1998/ND-CP of August 24, 1998 on the functions, tasks, powers and organizational apparatus of Vietnam News Agency.

Article 5.- Implementation responsibilities

The General Director of Vietnam News Agency, the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decree.

On behalf of the Government

Prime Minister

PHAN VAN KHAI